Christmas is fast approaching and so we decided to take another festive National Trust trip. After exploring Killerton and their fabulous Wind in the Willows theme last week, we made a welcome return to Knightshayes. It’s a lovely place to visit in Devon and isn’t far from Tiverton.

All Set for Christmas

Knightsyahes was all ready and set for the festive period – the house was decorated beautifully with stunningly adorned trees with plenty of lights and festive bits to look at. This year theme is based around a traditional family Christmas and there are plenty of displays filled with children’s toys from days gone by. This included various large dolls houses which so were so intricate and lovely to look at – each had its own story alongside it to tell you what was going on inside the house. There was also a full size railway track with trains chugging along on it which was placed on the snooker table. Nathan enjoyed playing with the trains for a bit – such a big kid!

All Lit Up

As dusk approaches the gardens take magical turn and are lit up with a multitude of colourful lights and the garden paths are lined by pretty little fairy lights to guide your way. We walked around just as it was starting to get dark so didn’t really get to see the full effect of the lights but i reckon it would be lovely sight to see. The house is open till 8pm at weekends so people can look around the house and gardens when they are fully lit up.

Hot Chocolate Treat

My sister kindly gave me a National Trust voucher for my birthday as she knows how much we enjoy going to the properties and thought we could treat ourselves whilst on our trips out. We made use of the voucher in the cafe and treated ourselves to a scrummy hot chocolate each and had a chocolate brownie to share – both were equally delicious! We sat outside in the covered marquee area and made use of the fur blankets for warmth!

You can read more about our previous visit to Knightshayes here, which has lots more details on the house and it’s history.

Have you ever been to Knightshayes? Enjoying any festive events over the coming days? Let me know below 🙂

Let’s Get Festive

We visited Killerton a few weeks ago which you can read about here, and enjoyed the National Trust house and gardens and so we were keen to return for the festive offerings. Each year Killerton, like many NT properties, adopts a theme based on a classic story and decorates their property for the festivites. This year we were in for a treat.

Wind in the Willows

Killerton’s festive theme this year is based on the book and film ‘The Wind in the Willows‘ and it’s glorious! You are invited to visit the estate and go on an adventure with the classic character Toad, Ratty, Badger and Mole. NT asks that people book an entry slot (every 15 minutes) so that the house doesn’t get too overcrowded and busy. I think this is a really good idea as visits are popular and there’s nothing worse than going to see a display of some sort and not actually being able to see it.

On arrival at the entrance to Killerton you are given your time slot cards and provided with a Wind in the Willows story and activity book which tells you about this years theme, a synopsis of the classic story and has some activities for the younger ones.

So Much to See

After collecting our ticket and activity book we made our way outside and headed along the path towards the house. The path is adorned with wooden cut out statues of woodland animals and theres lights and baubles hanging from the trees. We were immediately put into the Christmas Spirit and were really pleased to see that the scaffolding what was around the top part of the main house on our last visit had gone.

We entered the house and couldn’t believe how different if looked compared to when we were here a few weeks ago – the place was decked with brightly coloured trees, beautiful festive decorations and looked stunning! I particularly liked the garlands that decorated the doorways as I thought they looked really effective.

Following the Story

As you walk around the house you are greeted by various classic scenes from the story, some with a lovely Christmas twist. I particularly liked the Christmas dinner scene – the animals sure looked like they were having fun and enjoying themselves!

There was lots to look at and many decorations to admire. Upstairs in one of the rooms there was a place for children to dress up and try on different costumes and we saw many children engaging in this and having a good time.

It took us around 20 minutes to walk around the house and displays I think. We enjoyed it although it did get quite hot with the number of visitors in there and quite a few excited children running around!

Magical Outdoor Trail

After visiting the house we decided to walk along the outdoor trail which had been set up based on the Wind in the Willows theme. There were lots of lights and decorations along the route as well as games such as hook a duck and noughts and crosses. In the activity book there is a tick list for children to tick off all the woodland animals they encounter along the route.

We made our way up to the chapel which was beautifully decorate with trees from local schools. There was a small carol concert going on with a four piece choir. We sat and listened to a few songs which added to our warm festive feelings.

No Hot Chocolate

We thought it would be nice to visit the Stables Cafe but by the time we got there mid afternoon they didn’t have any chocolate left and the selection of cakes wasn’t too plentiful so we decided not to worry. It was busy in there and I guess the lack of things left shows how busy it had been all day – we will have to get there earlier next time!

Festive Events

There’s lots to do at Killerton during the festive period including visiting Father Christmas and Christmas shopping. Check out the events page here. I would really recommend the Wind in the Willows festive display and think anyone of any age would enjoy it! It’s open until Friday 5th January so plenty time left to visit!

Another National Trust Day Trip

If you follow my blog and read my posts you will know by now how much Nathan and I enjoy a Sunday outing to a National Trust property. When I looked at the National Trust’s website and saw Knightshayes had a Christmas Food and Drink Fair I couldn’t resist!

Knightshayes Court

Knightshayes is an amazing Gothic Revival house and is simply stunning to look at, both inside and out. The house was built in the late 1860’s by William Burges and so it’s pretty old! There is a stunning drive way which you drive up to park the car and then it’s only a short walk from the entrance building to the grand house.

The opulent house has been home to three generations of the Heathcoat Amory family and there is information about their history within the house. The house was then given to the National Trust in 1972 and has been visited by many NT members and public visitors since.

The house if full or lovely historical artefacts and grand pieces of furniture and is such a pleasure to walk around and explore.

Plenty to See and Do

Like with many of the NT properties there is lots to see and do. You can visit the house of course, as well as the formal and woodland garden and also the kitchen garden which we had a good look around. You can also try out the Douglas Fir walk or peruse the wider estate which covers over 200 acres of parkland and forestry.

Knightshayes is also home to the Stables Cafe and Conservatory Tea Room. The tea room looked lovely and is attached to the main house, overlooking the gardens. It wasn’t open when we were there due to seasonal opening hours but I can imagine it would be a lovely place to stop for a drink or lunch in the summer months. We didn’t visit the Stables Cafe either as it was rather busy and we had already enjoyed some treats at the Christmas Fair.

Festive Christmas Stalls

On various weekends in November and December Knighthayes is holding various Christmas and festive events in the lead up to the big event. The weekend we visited, the estate was hosting a Christmas Food and Drinks Fair. This included a marquee full of lovely stalls offering their delights including a posh marshmallow stand, a macaroons stand, various cakes and biscuit stalls and some cider offerings too.

We tried a few samples of such items as we made our way around the stalls; everything was super yummy although some things did seem a little over-priced in our eyes. We settled on having getting some savoury pastries for lunch and picked a couple of pic n mix yummy fudge bits to take home.

The weather wasn’t the best on the day we visited and so we didn’t go for a longer walk but I look forward to visiting again soon and exploring the gardens and walks a bit more.

Knightshayes has various festive Christmas events coming up in the next month and you can check them out here!

On the Wish List

I’ve wanted to visit Bedruthan Steps for ages and so on an October weekend return to Cornwall, Nathan and I decided to head to the well-known spot and see what all the fuss was about!

When we arrived the Carnewas at Bedruthan National Trust car park had quite a few cars in, but there was plenty of space and free for us National Trust members. Even the coastal view from the car park was awesome and very inviting for us to explore further. We had a quick cup of tea in the car and then wrapped up warm to brace the wind and set off to explore the steps.

The Giant’s Steps

Bedruthan is particularly popular with both Cornish locals and visitors and offers spectacular coastal views over large rocks (known as sea stacks) that are dotted not too far from the shoreline. According to historic folklore, the legend is, that the large granite sea stacks are stepping stones for the ‘Giant Bedruthan’ which believe it or not isn’t too hard to imagine once you see them!

We made our way from the car park out to the clifftops overlooking the giant’s stepping stones. The view was just amazing took my breath away – more than the harsh Autumn winds did!

We carried on further and descended the steps down to the viewing point. Here you can get better shots of the steps and see them in their full glory from above.

We stood here for a while and saw some rocks fall down from the cliffs onto the shore below. As we watched in amazement a couple next to us, who had their camera out, told us a few minutes earlier there had been a much bigger rock fall. Quite scary really! We took a seat on a big rock and watched eagerly to see if anything else fell but nothing else did. We decided to carry on walking and find a spot to stop for lunch.

Bedruthan Lunch Stop

After walking up the shoreline a bit further we found some secluded benches and choose one to have our rolls and tea at. Whilst it was a bit nippy, it was peaceful and had stunning views. There were a few groups of walkers who passed us but it felt pretty quiet and unspoilt.

We weren’t able to due to the tide times, but when the tide is out, you can head down to the beach. Apparently, getting down to the beach can be difficult as there is a steep, narrow parade of steps cut into the cliff which sounded a bit scary for my liking; especially with the rock falls we had seen and heard about earlier!

Did Somebody Call the Coastguard?

We didn’t have much longer to explore as we had plans for the evening so we took a slow walk back up to the top of the cliffs. As we did we saw the Coastguard Helicopter approach and hoover for ages over where we had been. It looked as if they were looking out into the sea and we could see a rescue team member hanging out of the helicopter’s door having a good look. We don’t imagine they found what they were looking for as after about 10 minutes they went back inside the helicopter and it flew away. Quite a sight to see up close.

We made sure to stop off quickly at the National Trust Gift Shop, which is located in the car park, before we went – after all I needed to make sure I picked up some postcards didn’t I!

After spending the morning at Killerton we decided to drive a few minutes up the road to the village of Broadclyst where Clyston Mill is located. Broadclyst is about 5 miles from Exeter and appeared quaint and quiet when we visited.

The National Trust website directs you to park in the villages car park, which is free and then walk to the mill. This was only about a five minute walk – across the road and through the churchyard of Broadclyst Church. The church was beautiful and grand looking and we had a quick look round before continuing onto the mill.

When we reached Clyston Mill and entered, we were told by the National Trust volunteer that they were milling flour there today, and we could watch to see how it’s done. Clyston Mill one of the South West’s last remaining watermills and runs on water from the River Clyst.

There’s three different levels within the mill and you can see how the flour is produced and then packaged up to sell in the National Trust gift shops. There were two millers working with the flour and it was interesting to see all of the machinery moving and working. There’s plenty of written information about the mill and it’s history and you can look into the mill boy’s room and imagine what it would have been liked to have worked and stayed there overnight.

After looking around the mill you can pop outside and see the River Clyst and the waterwheel from the outside.

It didn’t take us too long to look around the mill, we were thee maybe half an hour, but it was nice to see and the exterior was beautiful with the ivy growing on the front of the building.

National Trust Fans

As you already know I love the National Trust and am a proud member! It doesn’t matter that I’m only 28 – I save lots of money on car parks, coastal walks and trips out to see historical houses and beautiful gardens. When I moved to Devon I was excited to think about all the new National Trust properties I could visit and the new places I could explore with my membership. Luckily, like Cornwall, Devon has a tonne of NT properties, estates, gardens and coastline to explore so I will be kept busy!

Exploring Killerton

We chose to go to Killerton Estate for our first NT adventure in Devon. We were drawn to Killerton, not only as it is quite close to where I live, but also because the grand 18th century house looked stunning and I wanted to see it in person and explore it’s large surrounding gardens. Killerton is located in the village of Broadclyst and isn’t far from the centre of Exeter. It’s pretty easy to reach and a lots of ample parking (free for NT members).

The Killerton Estate has been owned by the National Trust since 1944. It was given to the NT by Sir Richard Acland who decided to give it away based on his political beliefs. There’s lots of information about how this happened and the circumstances that preceded his decision inside the house and you can write a note on whether you would do the same as Richard if you had been in the same position. People are encouraged to write their thoughts on a tag and place on the ‘decision tree’.

Inside the house you can look around various rooms full of history and 18th – 20th century costumes. I particularly enjoyed the library which was full of books. Here we got talking to one of the NT volunteers and he told us how many of the books had been donated by local people. He also told us all about a couple of groups of children from schools in Kent who were evacuated to live in the house during the war. The volunteer directed us to some photo albums which depicted the evacuees experiences of staying at the house. He seemed very knowledgeable and interested to share his love of the house.

We weren’t able to visit all of the period rooms on show in the property due to some maintenance works that were being carried out (they are apparently fixing the leaky roof). Whilst this was a bit of a shame, the building works and scaffolding outside didn’t dampen the beautifulness of the houses stunning exterior and as we are local, I know we can visit again once the maintenance has been completed. It gives us another excuse to go back! I would like to see the annual fashion exhibition which is due to return in 2018.

Woodland Walks

After looking around the house, and entering ourselves for the chance to win the NT raffle, we went outside to explore the gardens. The Georgian house is surrounded by 2400 acres of woods, parkland, orchards and farmland (no mean feet to walk around I can imagine!)

It was so lovely to walk around the paths adorned with tress full of autumn coloured leaves and the low sunshine of late October. We walked up the hillside where we found the Iron Age hill fort and discovered some amazing views towards Dartmoor. You could see pretty far out over the fields and gorgeous countryside – my pictures really don’t do it justice!

We continued our countryside walk, collecting fresh conkers, and made our way to the Chapel. What a stunning building this was from the outside. We went inside and it was small, peaceful and had some lovely stained glass windows to admire.

We walked back to the entrance of Killerton and had a quick look in the shop before leaving. It was nice to see the Christmas display of gifts and decorations – made me feel a tad festive, although it still feels too early to think about all that!